ABSTRACT
This is the third report of the findings of the investigation we made in Tokushima Prefecture as part of a joint research project designed to work up measures against the problems of the elderly with urinary incontinence in rural areas. The project, led by Dr.Kazunori Sugiyama, was commissioned by the National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (Zenkyoren).<BR>The two previously published reports dealt with (1) independence of the elderly in rural community and urination trouble and (2) urinary incontinence in the elderly populace of a rural area.<BR>Of the elderly men living at home, 20.5% was found to have urinary incontinence and a further 14.4% complained about difficulty in urinating. Those who registered an IPSS count of 10 or over accounted for 20.1% of the urinary incontinent persons. The IPSS showed a tendency to go up with advancing age. To be noted was the fact that there is a regional difference in the average score. It was lower in the mountain villages than in the flat-land farming areas. This suggested that the incidence of prostatic hypertrophy may be low in the mountain villages than in the flat-land areas.<BR>In prostate examination, the use of IPSS is helpful in screening for enlargement of the prostate to some extend. More clinically dependable tools are ultrasonography, cystourethroscopy (cystoscopy) and uroflowmetry. However, whether these tools should be introduced for first-line screening is debatable.<BR>In contrast, blood tests that measure levels of PSA and PAP are not only effective but also feasible for mass screening. Thus, the authors would like to recommend their immediate implementation in health screening programs for the elderly.